Annual Report - Springfield Urban Agriculture Coalition

2013
ANNUAL
REPORT
Springfield Urban Agriculture Coalition
promotes healthy lifestyles and
environments through hands on education
about production and consumption of
locally-produced, natural, healthy foods.
SPRINGFIELD URBAN AGRICULTURE COALITION
2013 ANNUAL REPORT
SPRINGFIELD URBAN AGRICULTURE COALITION
While we’ve accomplished much over the years, many of our successes and goals
obtained cannot be measured only on paper—providing children with the opportunity
to pull a carrot from the soil; watching students harvest a salad grown by their peers;
teaching students the concepts of ecosystems, plants, life cycles, and the needs of living
organisms; hearing news of a CRAFT apprentice starting their own farm.
We’re happy to share our highlights with you. Join us in celebrating our accomplishments
and achievements as we look forward to a bright future and continued success.
1,582 students in
schoolyard gardens.
500 volunteers
donated 2,000 hours
to DIRT.
THE DIRT PROJECT
The DIRT Project, established in 2010, introduced schoolyard
gardens in Springfield Public Schools. Today there are ten
gardens which were built and are currently sustained by students, teachers, parents, community volunteers, DIRT Garden
Teachers, and SUAC staff.
DIRT is teaching the next
generation how to produce
the foods that are going to
keep our community healthy
and sustained.
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS:
Boyd Elementary • Delaware
Elementary • Eugene-Field
Elementary • Glendale High
School • Harrison Elementary
Jarrett Middle School • Pleasant View Elementary • Rountree Elementary • Williams
Elementary • York Elementary
“I like watching the plants
grow over time. I also loved
harvesting lettuce for salads for
our teachers.”
“My favorite thing about the
garden is remembering the
days I planted a seed and then
seeing it’s growth and thinking
that I was the creator of that
plant, I can then eat the plant
and have a good feeling inside.”
”This is more fun than video
games!”
2013 DIRT PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Partnered with YMCA of the Ozarks Local Sprouts Summer
Garden Program to teach 350 kiddos about gardening.
• Taught two 8-week-long after-school garden sessions at Title
I school, York Elementary.
• More than doubled our volunteer, Garden Teacher staff, from
6 to 14!
• Partnered with YMCA’s Healthy Living Alliance to adopt
Williams Elementary into our programming.
• Helped build a greenhouse at Jarrett Middle School. This
greenhouse will offer a winter growing season.
• Established DIRT Committee.
2013 ANNUAL REPORT
CRAFT
Ozarks CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) is a cooperative
effort of area farms organized to enhance
educational opportunities for farm
apprentices. CRAFT was created in 2010
and has trained 22 farmers. Currently
CRAFT supports 12 farms. Since its
inception, all participating farms have
remained with our programming.
12 farms involved
in CRAFT.
13 interns
trained in
the past
year.
PARTICIPATING FARMS:
Bear Creek Farms • Bechard Family
Farm • Circle B Ranch • Echigo
Farm • Farm of Hard Rocks
Foundation Farm • Gateway Farm
Long Creek Herb Farm • Millsap
Farm • Ozark Natural Foods
Terrell Creek • Urban Roots Farm
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
We’ve partnered with Pat Byers, Horticulture Specialist at
University of Missouri Extension, Green Circle Projects, and
Farmers Market of the Ozarks to plant an apple orchard and
to build a community garden a Farmers’ Park. Check it out
next time you’re shopping at the market!
PARTNERS
Springfield Public Schools • Community Partnership of the
Ozarks • Community Foundation of the Ozarks • Missouri
Foundation for Health
To meet our partners, visit: www.springfielduac.org/partners
SPRINGFIELD URBAN AGRICULTURE COALITION
MEET THE CREW
KAT MINX, Development Coordinator
Kat Minx joined SUAC in August 2013 as an AmeriCorps VISTA.
After graduating from MSU with an English Education certification in 2012, she decided she’d trade in book worms for real
ones. Her favorite part is of course, the kiddos and their funny
anecdotes.
BEN UTNE, DIRT Coordinator
Kat Minx and Ben Utne at
Delaware Elementary.
Ben joined the crew in August 2013 as an AmeriCorps VISTA.
Ben is the DIRT Garden Coordinator and overall genius. If not
in a garden, he can often be found troubleshooting computer
problems or creating better filing systems.
NEW LEADERSHIP
Sheila Nichols joined SUAC in mid-April. She owns a small
farm in Nixa and is a long-time advocate for local food and
healthy communities. Sheila is a founding member of the
Ozarks Regional Food Policy Council, and is former Coordinator
of Springfield Food Day Celebration.
MEET THE BOARD
Lucy Howell Account Manager, Departika
Katrina Murr Secretary; Author; MFA student at Warren
Wilson University
Sheila Nichols, SUAC’s new
Executive Director
Rob Corliss Chef, Owner of All Things Epicurean (ATE), A Culinary
Consulting Company
Curtis Millsap Owner of Millsap Farms
Janell Bagwell Principal of Eugene Field Elementary School
Jason Greer, M.D. Cox Medical Center
Melissa Millsap Owner, Urban Roots Farm; Executive Committee member for the Food Policy Council
Adam Millsap Owner, Urban Roots Farm
Patricia Zachary Retired CPA; General Federation of
Women’s Clubs
Ashley Fears Market Development Specialist, City of Springfield
Environmental Services
Joshua Jones Mercy Sustainability Program Manager
2013 ANNUAL REPORT
2013 FINANCIAL REPORT
EXPENSES
Program Expenses
22,184.17
Staff
61,948.89
Administrative
2,843.28
Fundraising
3,295.67
Cost of Goods Sold
Total Expenses
867.67
$91,139.68
INCOME
Grants
Education Programming
79,722.21
1,767
Donations
2,541.65
Fundraisers
20,401.87
Seed and T-Shirt Sales
Total Income
Total Assets
Total Liabilities
2,062.98
$106,495.71
40,928.60
-
Total Equity
40,928.60
Net Income
$15,356.03
YOU CAN HELP
Thank you to everyone who
supports our programming! SUAC
simply does not exist without our
partners, sponsors, donors
and volunteers!
If you would like to support our mission,
we welcome your financial contributions.
Please visit our website to donate:
www.springfielduac.org
Cocktails and Wellies, one of
SUAC’s annual fundraisers.
SUAC seeds and T-shirts are
available to purchase from
springfielduac.org.
Springfield Urban
Agriculture Coalition
823 W State, #8
Springfield, MO 65806